


A Life Worth Living

by A_Death_and_A_Maiden



Category: Ai no Kusabi, Zetsuai and Bronze
Genre: Angst, Crossover, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, M/M, Sex, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:22:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27895261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Death_and_A_Maiden/pseuds/A_Death_and_A_Maiden
Summary: This crossover is partly inspired by an Ai no Kusabi and Zetsuai (Bronze) crossover by another author I have read years ago but I can no longer locate it. This crossover seems to be a natural blend of two canon YAOI animes because their characters share a lot of similar challenges. Ai no Kusabi and Zetsuai (Bronze) are copyrighted by their respective owner and this fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only. The events in this story take place during Riki’s year of freedom.
Relationships: Iason Mink/Riki, Izumi Takuto/Nanjou Kouji
Comments: 10
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter One

For those, who are not familiar with either series, this is a break down of the four main characters as seen on Wikipedia: Iason and Riki, Koji and Izumi.

Iason Mink is characterized traditionally as “the most superior and powerful Blondie in Tanagura, and the head of the Syndicate, Tanagura's black market for pet trade.” This seems to be somewhat contradicted by later animation where we get a clear division of responsibilities among Thirteen Blondies. Iason may be a powerful Blondie, but probably not the most powerful one. Iason is elegant, calm, but at the same time passionate, ruthless, manipulative and unforgiving. He is obsessed with Riki. 

Riki the Dark is known for his dark hair and eyes. He is also called “Charisma” in original works. Riki is the former gang leader of the Bison gang in Ceres. Riki was proud, rebellious, fierce, defiant but three years of sexual slavery with Iason made him mature and quiet. He never acknowledges his own feeling for Iason.

Kouji Nanjo (also spelled Koji Nanjo, that O in his name seems to be a long vowel) is “one of the most successful rock stars in Japan, with his hauntingly beautiful voice and very attractive features. But beneath all the fame and glamour, he is a damaged and hurt young man who has absolutely no happiness or interest in life.” It is understood that Koji comes from some what successful background. He has at least one brother. Koji used to do ken-do but he hurt his eye and he had to leave this sport behind. His love to Izumi is an obsession. He fell in love with Izumi many years ago mistaking him for his sister and he has some hardship understanding that all these years he was loving a man. There’s one registered attempt in the storytelling to rape Izumi.

Izumi Takuto is a soccer prodigy. He comes from a traumatized family where his mother killed his father and attempted to kill Izumi, he has a scar on his thigh to remind him of that. His siblings were adopted after their mother went to prison but Izumi refused to be adopted for personal reasons, he was of independent age soon anyway. Izumi struggles with part-time jobs to support him. He makes his big break as a soccer player eventually but it is left unclear if he follows his career. He takes care of Koji, cooks and cleans in return for rent when they move in together because Izumi’s landlord refuses to allow a pet. He is somewhat dependent emotionally on their relationship and struggles with the media attention on him, his family and his relationship with Koji. 

You may want to see YouTube for Zetsuai/Bronze videos of Koji Nanjo singing to help you get in the mood. 

Thank you for reading. 

****

There is a time for everything,  
and a season for every activity under heaven:  
a time to be born and a time to die,  
a time to plant and a time to uproot,  
a time to kill and a time to heal,  
a time to tear down and a time to build,  
a time to weep and a time to laugh,  
a time to mourn and a time to dance,  
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,  
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,  
a time to search and a time to give up,  
a time to keep and a time to throw away,  
a time to tear and a time to mend,  
a time to be silent and a time to speak,  
a time to love and a time to hate,  
a time for war and a time for peace. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 

[Amoi. A monthly meeting of the Thirteen Blondies. Undisclosed location, presumably Jupiter Tower.]

Thirteen Blondies were sitting around a very large table with a lot of shimmering screens on it. The meeting of the Blondie Syndicate was drawing to a close. There was only one item left of the agenda. An automatic voice started speaking in the background as the details were coming up and flashing on the screens.

“A cultural exchange programme with Earth?”- Iason Mink furrowed his brows. He didn’t know Earth had culture. How exactly scientifically and technologically prodigious Amoi could benefit from a cultural programme with Earth? Was this some charity programme aimed at developing planets he didn’t know about?  
“Yes,”- replied Orphe Zavi. - “Their delegation is coming for an entire month. They will be accommodated in Parthia. There are different events and two receptions scheduled, one formal at the beginning of their visit and one informal at the end of their visit. The formal reception is a must. Two of us have to go. Any volunteers?”  
Not a single white-glove clad hand enthusiastically shooting up in sight. Orphe Zavi sighed.  
“A lottery again?”- he suggested. Silence ensued. He tapped into a small device on the table in front of him and thirteen Blondies crossed their fingers to avoid the stroke of bad luck. The device chipped and Iason’s name came up on the screen. His luck must have been taking a Muir break. Twelve bodies obviously relaxed a bit, but just a bit. There was one more victim. Iason cast a furtive glance at Raoul, who normally escorted him on social events, in search for a friend to share his misery as he secretly hoped Raoul would volunteer to tag along, but this time Raoul was very much interested in that tiny invisible speckle of a dirt he found on his pristine clean glove and avoided Iason’s gaze at all costs. He’d rather watch paint dry. 

Gideon’s name came up next. There was a quiet murmur around the table. The meeting was over. Everybody was getting up to leave. Gideon’s face was unreadable.  
“What’s the minimum sentence?”-asked Iason.  
“One hour. Then you can leave.” 

[A private cabin on spaceship somewhere near Amoi orbit.]

Koji Nanjo and Izumi Takuto were standing in an embrace and watching the unfolding view of Amoi through a giant illuminator before them. Izumi hugged Koji tighter and rested his head against Koji’s chest.

“Tell me again why we have to go?”- asked Izumi. He was silently fuming. He was missing his soccer practice to join Koji on this cultural exchange. He didn’t want to go but he knew he couldn’t let Koji go alone. Nanjo Koji was a responsible adult, he could order food on a phone app. But that was it. That’s why Izumi had to go, so he could look after Koji. Shibuya also went, but he was just a business manager who couldn’t babysit Koji 24/7. And Koji was anal about separating from Izumi for so long. Izumi sighed. This trip was important for Koji’s career. They both had outstanding careers in their respective fields but as professionals they understood that it was Izumi who would have to be the one to retire in order to keep this relationship going. There was no need to take it personally. Age. Traumas. That’s why everybody retired, eventually.

But Koji was now at the height of his career. He was bagging money in brand deals. He was getting paid for appearances. His concerts sold out two years before he even climbed on that stage. Best record studios were at each other’s throats to release his upcoming newest album, that he was now working on. He could sing a siren to sleep. That’s why he was chosen to go on this cultural exchange- he was an asset Earth could proudly show off. If Koji could have had a personal say here, he would have of course refused this madness but now the weight of the official duty to represent his planet was laid on his shoulders. That’s why Shibuya called Izumi first thing when this news was announced and told him to start packing immediately. Shibuya needed the best possible team for serious backup because Koji Nanjo was a self-taught expert of lighting shit on fire. 

“To represent our planet. To share the experience. To gain knowledge of the ways other civilizations develop.”- Koji recited his media training. -”I’m not a baka, Izumi!”  
“I know that,”- Izumi tucked playfully at Koji’s white hair lock. -”But not everybody does.”  
Koji rolled his eyes up.  
“Takuto, you are impossible! I want to make love to you! Now!”  
“Koji, we are docking in an hour.”  
Koji looked into Izumi’s eyes, smiled and kissed him gently on the lips.  
“Tonight,”-kiss- “when”-kiss- “we”-kiss- “check in”-kiss- “on Amoi”-kiss- “I’m gonna fuck..”  
“Koji!”  
“-gonna fuck”-kiss- “you”-kiss- “out”.  
Facepalm. Is this the way an educated person should speak?! 

[A hotel in Parthia where Earth delegation was accommodated.]

Iason Mink was walking along the corridor of a VIP section of the business hotel Earth’s delegation had been checked into and growing cold inside by a minute. Apparently, he was not only supposed to attend that stupid party tonight, but he was also supposed to meet and greet the head of Earth delegation at the hotel as they arrive. Orphe Zavi may you burn in hell and may your Pet lose his dick power in the middle of the show. How he could not tell that before?! Gideon was supposed to be here too as his brother in misery, but as all things Gideon he was not doing what he was supposed to be doing, but maybe he was having a diarrhea or something. OK, Iason calmed himself down, get in, shake hands, get out, be done in five seconds. Easy peasy simple breezy. And maybe then there’s some time so he can go to vomit. 

He froze in his tracks and listened. There was a door slightly ajar to his right and there was music playing in the room. Music that rippled like waves on water when one threw a stone. Music that caressed his face like the wind. Music that made his body hair stand on its end. There was a voice in that music, too. A silk voice Iason could listen to forever. He stretched out his hand, pushed the door completely open and entered the room. He didn’t care if he was infringing on someone’s privacy. He just wanted to take that voice into his palm, to take it home to his apartment in Eos Tower penthouse and to live with it for the rest of his life.

Considering the fact his body was scientifically engineered, that could stretch to a century. 

The music was on a music player. Some technologies were shared across galaxies and adapters could be used in most cases where sharing was incompatible. Iason looked around. He was not used to being in accommodations like that. This was VIP accommodation, but compared to Blondie standards it was seriously modest. Of course, business travellers who lodged in Parthia weren’t picky guests: a bed, a shower, a good breakfast, a shuttle to the space station, what else did they need? He was standing in what seemed to be a shared common sitting-room for two bedrooms with en-suite facilities on both sides. Suddenly, the door of the right bedroom opened and a man wearing nothing but a towel around his waist walked in. He didn’t see Iason as he was drying his wet hair with another towel because he had just stepped out of a shower.  
“Shibuya, did you bring...”- a man’s voice trailed off as he stared at Iason. -”Who the fuck are you?”

Iason would have been offended by his words had he not been stricken with the appearance of this other man. His white hair was wet and long locks were caressing his face like fingers. Iason could not remember having seen someone with such white hair before. Surely, he had Platinas working under him but this was...Iason felt an urge to pick up a lock of this magnificent hair and to inspect it closer. He blinked. Now was this a conduct of a Blondie?! Iason gave himself a mental kick in the teeth. The musical track stopped and switched to another one but the man walked over to the music player and turned it off. Iason wanted to cry.

“Can I help you?”- asked the man. He had the most beautiful blue eyes and Iason felt a strange rush in his body. What Earth tricks was this man playing on him?!  
“My apologies for disturbing you.”- Iason collected his dignity and spoke up. He felt he needed to explain himself. -”The door was open and I heard the song. I know I shouldn't have...”-Iason paused as expression of great annoyance turned up on the man’s face. He didn’t seem to be impressed with Iason at all. This was new. 

Koji was thinking. Was this a fan of his? Koji Nanjo had a low tolerance for jet lag and a rich experience of being stalked. This both was happening right now. He walked over to the sofa and picked up a bathrobe that had been lying there. Maybe he should call security? Then it dawned on him. Nanjo Koji was not, as he had previously mentioned himself, a baka. Suddenly a face connected to a name. He turned around, his eyes wide. 

“Oh my God!”- gasped Koji. -”You are Iason Mink! That Blondie!”

Iason smiled pleased. He was not called “God” under normal circumstances. God was Jupiter. But “oh my God” was what Riki would say (more like “oh my gaaaaaaaaaawd yaaaaaas yaaas yaasssssss”, though) when they were making love, so apparently it was a human thing. And he was indeed pleased with being “that” Blondie, which somehow separated him from the rest of the lot. Blondies took pride and arrogance with Jupiter’s digits as she was birthing them. Suddenly the whole trouble of having to come to this meet and greet didn’t seem to be such a bad idea. Orphe Zavi, you have been officially forgiven. 

“Koji Nanjo, honoured to meet you,”- Koji intuitively stretched out his hand for a handshake and then quickly drew it back. Media training. Blondies didn’t touch humans whom they considered to be of lower social class. Koji didn’t like it but, as he was a citizen of Earth, he had to abide to galactic law, the Article 1 of which said: “We do not interfere in the development of other civilizations unless they are directly threatening the survival of our species.” Blondies kept humans as sex slaves but that did not qualify as “directly threatening the survival”. Koji noticed that Iason was wearing white gloves. Iason was thinking. This was not the name of the head of the delegation he was given. He was about to say something when…

“Let me out! Let me out!”- someone started pounding on the left bedroom doors. Koji’s face suddenly fell so much that Iason couldn’t help but chuckle. Humans sucked at controlling their emotions but this made them so much fun to watch.  
“You must excuse me. I’m having a bad time with my partner right now.”- Koji apologized. He didn’t like locking Izumi up but sometimes he was at his wits’ end and, given the lack of constructive family experience, Koji just acted on impulse. Iason nodded with a faint smile on his lips. So, this human had a pairing partner, how cute. Iason caught himself wondering if it would be interesting to watch them pair but then quickly wiped away this thought out of shared solidarity, a rare emotion to individualistic Blondies, with this beautiful man because Iason Mink knew very well what it was like to have a bad time with a partner.  
“I hate you!”- a voice shouted across the closed door. Riki always said that, too. Strike one.  
“You ruined my life!” What a coincidence. Strike two.  
“I am not your property!” Oh my Jupiter, was this really going on? Strike three.  
“I’m calling the police!” Right. A change of algorithm? This is where Riki would say something about fingering the social class system. How...extraordinary. 

“Pardon me once again,”- said Iason, -”I will leave you to attend this matter of utmost importance. I hope I will see you at the reception tonight?”  
“Reception? Yeah...”- said Koji in such a way as if he was learning new words and he has just looked up the word “reception” in a dictionary. The banging on the door continued. 

As Iason was leaving the hotel finally having greeted the head of Earth’s delegation and whose unimportant existence he already forgot, a plan was hatching in his mind but he needed to be careful, he needed to be very, very careful. He got into his aero-car and instructed its autopilot to take him home. He couldn’t pilot his car himself right now because he needed to contact Katze. After Riki left, Katze was confined to the margins of existence in Iason’s life and was charged with the task of doing some black market dealings in Ceres, so it was not like they called each other every night to say goodnight or something. Iason found Katze’s contact on the phone and texted him. 

“We need to talk.”

Katze picked up his phone as an incoming message beeped. He read it and put the phone back in his pocket. He hoped he hadn’t let his face slip.  
“Gotta go,”- he said as he getting up from a bar chair and putting some money on the table. -”It’s on me.”  
“Something serious?”  
“No. Just some regular shit. But it can turn into serious shit in no-time.”

Katze didn’t know he had a power of fortune-telling.

“See ya.”  
“See ya.”

A pair of dark eyes carefully followed Katze out of the bar. A mongrel gut knew Katze hadn’t been honest. The serious shit had already started happening. 

[At a party location in Midas where Earth’s delegation was having a formal welcome reception.]

Iason had to put in a lot of effort to hide his excitement from Gideon, who was sporting a face expression as if Jupiter bore him seven children, all of whom died in a tragic train wreck and he just buried their dismembered bodies. Iason went home, showered, ate, changed clothes and when he was done there was a detailed report waiting for his attention. Cal as a Furniture didn’t disappoint. Iason wanted to know more about this Koji Nanjo. Apparently, he was a singer! That explained the music in his room. The report contained detailed information of Koji’s family, education, career, health, favourite pastimes, favourite food, favourite this and that and the other but what interested Iason most was a list of known or presumed partners. Last known partner was a female singer with whom they made a musical single together. His Furniture Shibuya, who on Earth was called “manager”, was travelling together to foresee some musical performances. 

Koji and Izumi’s relationship was on and off so often that the press just couldn’t catch it up. Paparazzi hunted them with blood thirst but his company employed the best security standards money could buy. The report was somewhat outdated because it didn’t catch up on the fact that Koji and Izumi were back together again for this trip after their last break-up. There was no photo of Izumi in that report because he was listed as “past presumed” partner. Koji seemed to be as single as a dollar bill. Truth be said, Koji’s company twisted their backs to cover up his relationship with Izumi and now voila, they managed to fool someone at the other end of the galaxy. Single hot super-sexy Koji Nanjo could fuck anyone with his voice so good like committed to a serious relationship Koji couldn’t, and people were paying a lot of money for this. Nothing personal, strictly business. 

Gideon graciously accepted a glass of wine from a tray held by a uniformed waiter and tapped at his wrist watch. He set countdown for sixty minutes. Then he would receive “an urgent call from the office” and he would have no choice “but regretfully leave the faaaaabulous event”. He nodded to Iason and with a patience of a saint strolled to greet the flabbergasted crowd. Iason despised such dirty tricks. If he wanted to leave, he left. He never explained himself. This was just what the cool Iason Mink did, he came and left as he pleased and the rest could go and fuck themselves if they didn’t like it. 

He was quick to locate Koji. The beautiful man was standing surrounded by a small group of people. He was smiling and chatting away easily. Koji was wearing a pitch-black tailored suit, a white shirt, his dark tie was neatly done. His white hair was even more pronounced in this light and he wore it in a bun. He looked very much in his element. Koji caught Iason’s eye, nodded to him and raised his wine glass to greet. He didn’t seem to be anyhow affected by the fact that he could have just done a most horrible faux-pa of established etiquette. Heads turned to see whom Koji Nanjo was saluting and jaws started falling and hitting the floor one by one as they saw who was approaching. Head of Earth’s delegation ran across the room, scorned at Koji and flashed a full 32-teeth smile at Iason. 

“Lord Mink, so delighted you could make it! We all know how busy your schedule is!”- Head of Earth’s delegation stuck his head deep up Iason’s ass and now was rubbing it against Iason’s prostrate. Which, come to think of it, was everybody doing always pretty much. Social conversation picked up. Iason politely wondered if Koji Nanjo would be performing tonight. His question was soon answered.

“No way!!! I can’t believe it!!! Koji Nanjo, is this you or your ghost?!”- a voice shrilled behind Koji’s back. Iason, with great amusement, watched as Koji managed to transform himself. His face first fell, annoyance, which Iason had already witnessed today, flashed in his eyes, lips twirled in a grimace, but then a mask of friendly your-next-door neighbour who also just happened to be your brother, lover and best friend attached itself. Koji greeted the intruder with a warm smile and managed to put three lies in one sentence. The intruder was a filthy rich owner of a network of casinos from Earth. He was prospecting to open a casino in Midas.  
“No, no, I am not performing tonight,”- Koji said to a disappointed gush,- “I need to take care of my voice. I had a bad cold last month and I haven’t recovered fully.”  
“Leo would be so excited to be here to meet you, Koji. By the way,”- said the casino owner as he picked up another glass of wine from the passing tray and everybody around them silently wondered who the fuck Leo was,- “why do I have a picture of Leo in a leopard bra imprinted in my mind? Do they put anything in these drinks?”  
“I hope not,”- laughed Koji and Iason had to bite his tongue hard not to say “yes”. -”But that didn’t stop you last time.”  
“Noooo!”- shrieked the casino owner in fake horror, slashed his palm on his face, spread two fingers and looked at Koji with one eye through a split.-”I didn’t…?”  
“Don’t worry about it. You were a real gentleman. You passed out before you could embarrass yourself.” Everybody laughed. Red colour hit the casino owner cheeks. Koji turned damage control mode on.  
“Tell you what,”- he tucked at the casino owner’s jacket sleeve.- “I have a confession to make. It’s a terrible secret that’s been eating me long time. Sometimes I can’t sleep at night.”  
“Oh?”- the casino owner lifted his brow,- “what’s that?”  
“Do you remember the time you brought us to that mind-blowing Chanel cruise collection presentation in Vegas and we had a most amazing time?” The casino owner was now enthusiastically nodding in agreement and grinning happily,-”Well, the red lipstick I wore that night,”-Koji leaned to the casino owner in a confiding way and whispered-”just don’t tell anyone...it was from Dior!”  
“Noooooooo!!!”- gushed the exasperated casino owner, all previous embarrassment and offense completely forgotten. -”Koji Nanjo, you are the only one, you are the absolutely only one who can do these things to people and get away with it!” But Koji knew that. He knew he was the absolutely only person, at least in Tokyo, who could stock a full cart of groceries in a supermarket and leave paying with just his smile.  
“Salvatore,”- Koji pulled a serious face. Apparently this was the casino owner’s name. It rhymed well with shittatore as well as Iason was concerned. He was getting restless. He had things to do. - ”Remember? What happens in Vegas…”  
“...stays in Vegas, I’ve got your back!”

There was another “ohmygodlookwhoshere”. Koji and Iason exchanged looks. Koji cocked his head towards a group of stunned people who were watching them in collective amazement but didn’t dare to approach.  
“Yours or mine?”- casually asked Koji. Iason smirked. But there was no way Koji could know this was how Iason smirked when Riki fought on Pet stage on his debut night.  
“Be my guest,”- he said. -”You two made up?”  
A hint of sadness touched Koji’s face.  
“Yeah, sort of. He was sleeping when I left.” Oh, how familiar. Riki was sleeping most times Iason left.

Iason circled the room to do the necessary social talk and allowed himself to be admired. He saw Gideon bidding him goodbye from the other side of the room as the other Blondie was leaving “due to unfortunate circumstances”. Iason felt cool, he could finally relax. His entire performance tonight kept him on itchy feet as he was personally going to make sure Koji Nanjo wasn’t leaving the reception early to check on his partner. He even had a backup plan to keep Koji as long as possible for this but it wasn’t necessary as Koji Nanjo tuned into the reception flawlessly and now was taking selfies with his fans. It was a formal reception and his pairing partner hadn’t been invited as they were not officially partnered. And Izumi didn’t want to go to yet to another event where he and Koji would have to pretend that they are only socially acquainted and not ejaculate together on the same bed. Iason didn’t know who was locked in that room and he didn’t care because whoever that person was, their only role, function and mission from now on will be to help him get his Riki back. 

[A hotel in Parthia where Earth delegation was accommodated.]

“What do you mean you are overbooked????!!!”

“Please, mister Nanjo!”- The manager of the hotel held his palms as if he was praying. -”Please! These unfortunate things sometimes happen. But we have instructions to transfer you…”  
“To this hotel where we are staying! To my room!”  
“Please, mister Nanjo!”  
“Where is Izumi Takuto???!!!!”  
“Mister Takuto has already been transferred, mister Nanjo!” 

Strange. Koji checked his phone. There was no message from Izumi. And...the phone was dead. Koji banged it angrily against the hotel reception desk. The phone didn’t start. Koji lost all contact with Izumi and Shibuya. He knew this could happen due to technological differences but it happening now was a very bad timing. 

“Your host, Lord Iason Mink, has offered his guestroom at his penthouse for you to compensate for this inconvenience!” The hotel manager said this himself and immediately didn’t believe a single word in what he had just said. That a most prominent Elite would do such a thing!  
“What?”- Koji raised his brows in surprise. If only he knew that the hotel manager was sweating oceans under his neat business suit. He had received his instructions about an hour ago, when unidentified men were carrying screaming Izumi away, and he wasn’t sure his performance was up to the scratch because if Koji was going to doubt the genuineness of this, he’d end up in Wieliczka salt mines for the rest of his life.  
“Has Izumi Takuto been transferred to Iason Mink’s penthouse, too?”  
The hotel manager swallowed a big gulp, nodded and grinned ear to ear. He prayed it was convincing enough. He had no idea where Izumi Takuto was.

Half an hour later Koji Nanjo was standing in the middle of his guestroom in Iason’s penthouse. It was dark outside, the wind was gaining speed and the first drops of rain touched the window. Koji had checked the closet, the commode and the bathroom for Izumi’s belongings but not a single item of his lover’s was to be located. His phone was still dead. Izumi was gone.

What the hell was going on?

End of Part One.


	2. Chapter Two

[A secure hideout in Ceres, located close to Midas.]

“Let me get this straight,”- said Riki.-”You,”-he pointed to Katze, -”are paying me”- he pointed to himself, -”this crazy amount of money to babysit,”- he pointed to trembling Izumi,- “him?”  
“Yes. It’s just for a couple of days.”  
“Unbelievable,”- Riki shook his head,-”Katze, you are nuts! Is this why you left so suddenly last time? You land unexpectedly like snow on my head and ask me to look after what...is he a Pet or something? How old is he? Fuck, Katze,”- Riki ran his hand through his hair,- “you know I don’t do kids!” Back in the day, when Riki the Dark was working in the black market together with Katze under Iason’s permission, he had to deliver young Pets to their yearning pervert buyers. He didn’t respect Pets before he met Iason and he would have done them easily then because he, like so many others, thought Pets to be stupid little pricks, but now, when he was free and he could pick and choose a job, he didn’t want to do Pets. Needs he explain why?!  
“Relax. Consider this...a personal favour.”

Riki looked Katze in the eye while Izumi was trembling in the background. A personal favour? Katze looked back to match Riki’s look but Katze’s eyes didn’t give away anything. They rarely ever did. Then Riki looked at Izumi, who was sobbing quietly. Then he looked at Katze again. 

“All right. A personal favour. But you owe me one.” Katze nodded. He took Izumi by the arm, dragged him to a bedroom and locked it from outside. Riki looked around. This hideout was much nicer than flea-infested pads mongrels were used to. It had two en-suite bedrooms, a sitting-room with a communication panel and a small kitchen. It was located close to Midas shopping areas with grocery stores and restaurants. At first glance it looked like one of those nice clean apartments rented by the hour for meetings of discrete nature. Riki opened a cupboard in the kitchen and whistled. A couple of days? They were stocked for a couple of years.

“I have to go.”- Katze was curt. -”Call me if you need anything. I’ll see myself out.”

Katze left the building and got into his nondescript car. He took out a phone and sent a text. Then, he lighted up a cigarette and smoked it quietly to the butt. Driving to Ceres with hysterical Izumi on the back seat, separated from him by a safety partition, was a nightmare. Izumi was crying and pleading for him to be let go and Katze had to mute the separated compartment. He had no idea what Iason was going to do with this poor kid and why he was given the instructions he was given but asking Iason for explanation was as good as talking to an empty kerosene tank. This Blondie evidently had a plot in his mind and that involved Riki. But why was this Blondie so obsessed? Katze wondered. Why complicate the matters so much? Why not meet a couple times a week in a nice apartment and do a former Pet on mutual terms? Ruphias and Zeke were doing just that. Katze didn’t understand Iason’s motivation at all.

Riki tapped a key into the e-lock on Izumi’s door. Izumi heard the doors opening and pulled a bed cover over his head, hiding and whimpering. Riki ran his tongue against this throat to make that ‘cluck’ sound. The room was a fortress. The window was bricked up. The only source of light in the room was artificial. The room and the bathroom were striped to bare minimum. Someone put in a lot of work to make sure the hostage couldn’t escape or hurt himself. Who was this kid? 

“Hey,”- said Riki.  
“Please don’t hurt me! Please don’t hurt me!”  
“Hey, it’s OK, nobody’s gonna…”  
“Please,”- Izumi lowered the bed cover from his head and two dark big teary eyes pierced into Riki,-”please let me go! I won’t tell anyone! I promise!”  
“Chill, kid…”  
“What do you want from me?”

Damn if I know, thought Riki. He didn’t want anything. Katze wanted something. But Katze didn’t seem to be a pervert. Until twenty minutes ago, at least. 

“You hungry?”- Riki realized how stupid this sounded right now but he was somehow genuinely concerned about this kid. He didn’t ask his name. It was always easier if you didn’t know the name. Izumi gulped on his tears, ran a finger against his runny nose and nodded. 

“Wait here, I’ll get you something,”- Riki turned to leave.  
“No, don’t go, please don’t go, please please please!!!”  
“Shush, kid, I’m just gonna make you a sandwich or something.” Riki was getting slightly annoyed. He was beginning to understand why his pay was so good. Then he froze in his tracks as a dreadful question hit him from behind.-”Why did that horrible man who brought me here call me a pet?”

Riki was about to freak out and lose his shit when there was a buzz on the intercom. There was someone was at the outer door of the building. 

“Stay here,”- he told Izumi and locked him up. He was gone for no longer than five minutes. Izumi met Riki with big questioning eyes when he returned. Riki was...confused.- “Hey, kid, you have a delivery.”

[Iason’s penthouse in Eos Tower.]

“Please accept my sincere apologies for this inconvenience. There was a big misunderstanding. Your partner has been transferred to another location based on his physical characteristics against my very clear instructions,”- Iason Mink was tasting his wine, blatantly lying and probably going for the greatest gamble in his life. Who in their right mind would be so insane as to ever go against clear instructions of the very Iason Mink?! -”But rest assured he is very well taken care of. I sent someone from my household to look after him.”  
“Can I call him, at least?”- asked Koji, absentmindedly fingering the leg of his wine glass.  
“Unfortunately, that is not an option. The storm is causing serious glitches in the communication system.” The absolute ignorance of his guest as pertained to local technologies was a major advantage to Iason. The penthouse was stocked with technology enough to disconnect from Eos Tower and make an independent trip to the nearest satellite. And every bit and piece was working regardless of the raging storm outside. Iason was lying straight to Koji’s face and he was pleasantly surprised himself how good he was at it.  
“When can I see him?”  
“I will make sure that happens in the next few days.”  
“Well, can I at least send him some food?” Koji had eaten well at the reception but he threw up in the bathroom in shock after he couldn’t find Izumi. Iason asked if he was hungry but Koji refused food. His stomach was one big knot of worry. But had Izumi eaten today at all? Iason considered Koji’s request in silence. He knew the hideout where Riki was hired to safeguard Izumi was stocked to last a short blockade but there was no harm in allowing Koji to show consideration for his partner. This, after all, was also part of his ingenious plan.  
“Yes, of course. My staff,”- he motioned towards Cal, who bowed politely, -”will assist you with everything.”  
“I need to exchange some money to Amoian currency…”  
“Please,”- Iason put up his hand,-”you are my guest. I will take care of this.”  
“Urgh...Thank you. I hope I can pay you back for your kindness one day.”  
“You can do it now,”- said Iason. He got up, picked up his wine glass and motioned Koji to follow him. They crossed several tastefully and luxuriously fitted rooms and entered into what looked like a garden room. There was a piano in the room. Iason sat down on a couch in front of the instrument. -”Please play me some of that wonderful music of yours.”  
“How...how do you know I can play the piano?”-Koji was honestly surprised. Iason just smiled. Koji inspected the instrument. He had one just like that in his studio in Tokyo. For a brief moment, he even thought it actually was his piano from the studio in Tokyo. But this couldn’t be right. Koji sat down and ran his fingers through the keys. To his surprised, everything was tuned to his liking. He gave Iason another look of surprise. He was about to strike a key when Cal quietly approached Iason. Iason paid no attention to Cal, his gaze was solely focused to Koji, but Cal didn’t seem to mind being ignored.

“The arrangements for Master Nanjo’s request have been made, Master”.  
“Good.”  
“Lord Am is here to see you, Master.”  
“Oh is he?”- sighed Iason. He let his guard slip and irritation crept to his face. It was late. He had had a long day. He was tired. He was getting a drink and he was beginning to wonder if Koji and he really need to share separate bedrooms tonight. But lo and behold must come Raoul Am and trample everything down. -”Tell him to come in.” He honestly wanted to tell Raoul to fuck off tonight but then he decided against it. Playing Raoul was easy. Raoul must have heard on the grapevine that a human from Earth’s delegation was visiting Eos Tower and of course he had to stick his nose in the shit. Iason could not help but feel sorry for Raoul, who was obviously going to try to protect him against alliance with yet another human. Well, Raoul, my dear friend, that didn’t go very well last time, did it?

“I will leave you to...”-Koji got to get up.  
“No, no. You will play.”

Koji tilted his head. He had absolute music pitch. The last sentence Iason had uttered sounded totally different from what he’d been hearing all day today. Only three words but they nailed Koji down to that piano chair. There was energy and electricity in Iason’s voice. Another imposing Blondie came in and settled comfortably next to Iason on the couch without acknowledging Koji’s greeting. 

“Welcome, Raoul. Our guest Koji Nanjo is going to play us some music.” Koji blinked. The energy and electricity were gone. In was the friendly warmth of the previous conversations, where words were uttered to make hearts melt. Koji tapped a key on the piano. He was sitting facing the two Blondies but he could keep his eyes down, pretending to look at the keys, which he could play blindfolded. Koji was going to give them his best performance. After all, wasn’t this what he was here for, to share cultural advancements of his planet? 

But it takes two to tango. Little did Iason Mink knew that behind the innocent looks of the beautiful heart-eater Koji Nanjo there was lurking a cruel, selfish, calculating bastard, a self-righteous prick, a cannibal that fed of human emotion and that wouldn’t do anything that it’d take to achieve his goals. Good people didn’t make big time. Koji just prayed his friendly mask wouldn’t slip away and his monster self didn’t break loose. He needed his Izumi. Izumi knew how to talk his monster to sleep. He will play for Izumi tonight. 

Koji normally performed with a band on stage but many of his songs had piano arrangements. He began to play and time and again he would look up at the two Blondies to check what effect his music was having on them. If Koji Nanjo could fuck people with his voice, he could make love to them with his music. The two Blondies were stunned by the time he finished playing. He started with Sad Illusionary Night followed by Cathexis Six, Moon Eternal Mobius and finished with Shinku nu Kizuato. Some of these pieces were written by him when he and Izumi were taking a break in their relationship. This evening he saw his music ticking all the right boxes with the two Blondies. Everyone can relate to loving but not being loved in return. These songs were his hits year after year after year. Silence ensued when he stroke the final note. 

“Thank you very much, Koji Nanjo,”- Iason broke silence finally, his voice the sound of breaking ice,- “Lord Am and I really enjoyed your music. But it was a long day. I suggest to get some rest.”  
“Very well. Goodnight, Lord Mink. Goodnight, Lord Am,”- said Koji as he was retiring. He went into his guest room, turned on the lights, sat down on his bed and flipped a coin he had removed from a slit on the piano while he was playing. This was his lucky coin. Izumi gave it to him so that his next album, that he was working on with his piano, would be a success. 

This fucking piano was his old fucking piano from his fucking studio in fucking Tokyo. 

Who the fuck was Iason Mink and what game was he playing?


	3. Chapter Three

[A secure hideout in Ceres, located close to Midas.]

“Parsley?”  
“Done.”  
“Onion?”  
“Done.”  
“Carrot?”  
“Done.”  
“Green peas?”  
“Done”. 

Izumi lay the kitchen knife down, brushed his hands against a towel that he was wearing instead of an apron (the clever bastard who stocked the cupboards with food didn’t include an apron and Riki in his mind was playing at least three different jokes about this to play to Katze; hey, Katze, what did a black market trader say to a Darkman, he said keep the apron, keep the fucking apron hahahaha) and took off the lid from a boiling pot to stir the deliciously smelling food. Katze would shoot his ass through the roof if he knew that Riki gave Izumi access to sharp instruments, which went clearly against his instructions. But Riki made up his mind. He would protect Izumi. Katze or no Katze, Izumi was going nowhere. Maybe he could revitalize Bison and bring Izumi in? The other guys would think he probably went mad bananas (he took a picture from Izumi’s fruit basket to show them) but eventually they will warm up to Izumi. One could not NOT warm up to Izumi. Of course, Izumi was useless in looting raids, bike rides, binge stout drinking or kicking someone in the teeth unless that could be done by standing quietly and smiling beautifully, but he could cook and clean. The kitchen was spotless clean despite their chaotic attempt at vegetable curry. 

“How come you can’t you cook?”- asked Izumi. 

Riki felt his tongue curl in his mouth. He yet had to break Izumi’s innocence by telling him what a Pet was. It was strange that Izumi didn’t know that. And how was he going to explain to Izumi that he lived in a wasteland where nothing grew? Riki pretended to be busy peeling an orange. Oranges at this time of the year! The person who sent Izumi this packet-load of fresh produce must be Elite! It was starting to make sense to Riki now. Katze was working for another Blondie to keep his mongrel-soon-to-be-made-into-beloved- Pet away from the public eye. Riki was here to guard Izumi based on his own previous…work experience. But he had to know for sure.

“So, this Koji Blondie, he is treating you well?”  
“Oh, yeah,”- Izumi smiled.-”He loves me very much. And I love him, too.” Strange, Riki thought, but OK.   
“So, how long have the two of you…”  
“Four years, give or take.”  
The orange left Riki’s hand and rolled across the entire kitchen until it hit the wall and stopped. Four years?! This Koji Blondie had been keeping Izumi for four bloody years and Izumi still didn’t know what a Pet was? What exactly was going on? What kind of pervert that Koji Blondie was???!!! 

“So he…,”- Riki went to pick orange. This allowed him to turn away from Izumi as blood was rising to his cheeks. -”He, like, he puts you on a chain or what...yeah...sorry for asking.”  
“No, that’s OK,”- Izumi blushed, too. -”Well, occasionally, but not very often. We only recently tried this bondage thing. I suppose it takes time to get used to all this new experience to fully enjoy it.” Riki wanted to croak. Why no one had told Iason that?! Why had he been chained and bondaged from day one?!  
“Do you have a ring?”- Riki was hopeful for an answer that would satisfy him but he wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted to be hearing. -”Does he put it on your...erm...like, you know?”

Izumi burst into laughter. “Are you kidding me? Who in their right mind would put a ring there? How does it even fit? Oh wait, yeah, it fits. You are talking about a sex toy, right?” Riki wanted the tiled floor which had been scrubbed clean by Izumi to part so he can be consumed by Ceres. That bloody thing was a toy???!!! Then why wasn’t he having fun playing with it???!!! -”But I have a ring, sure, I will show you. Watch how it boils.”

Izumi left the kitchen leaving Riki to oversee the stove and Riki heard how he was checking out his stuff. Apparently he had packed for a long time. His stuff had been delivered to this apartment by Katze’s assistants who kidnapped Izumi from the hotel. Izumi returned and handed out a small ring to Riki. Riki held a small gold band and stared at it with incredulity. There was no way this ring could fit on a dick. Izumi kind of explained it as he took the ring from Riki and put it on his finger. Izumi smiled. 

“It’s done. We can eat now.”  
“OK. While we eat you can tell me more about your Blondie. What’s he like?”   
“He is unfit for normal life. Koji Nanjo thinks food comes from a fridge but when he opens the fridge he cannot make a connection between a cow and a bottle of milk. His family spoiled him very much. He was the second son, he didn’t have to justify his family’s trust. He was given an upper hand in everything. His parents spent little time with him, so, I suppose, they kind of tried to pay for it. Drivers, nurses, chefs, private instructors...They had the financial means to spoil him. Then his talent got noticed and money started coming in tenfold. When he gets into his music, he completely switches off. He can spend days without food, drink or sleep working on his music. Those days I make vegetable soup in a blender and feed him with a spoon, but I have to shout at him to open his mouth.”

Some points for Riki don’t add up. To the best of his knowledge, among the Thirteen Bastards there is no-one called Koji Nanjo. Also, Blondie’s are related but they don’t come in families, so how come this Blondie be a second son? A suspicion slowly starts to creep in. Is this why Katze hired him to watch this kid? Because he’s blabbing rainbows? Was this Pet mind-tempered with? That makes perfect sense to Riki. That fits a defining image of one Blondie he already has. Koji Nanjo Blondie Bastard rises before Riki as self-centered, rich, spoiled, filthy piece of shit that hurts kids. Riki already hates him.

Riki had so many questions to ask Izumi but he was really tired. So was Izumi. It was time to get some sleep. Izumi asked Riki if he can keep the light on in his bathroom at night because the window had been bricked up and he was kind of scared of darkness. Riki felt for Izumi so much that moment. But his bedroom didn’t have the fortifications of Izumi’s bedroom, there was a big window to let in enough natural light. Riki suggested sharing his bed. Izumi didn’t mind. He felt Riki was protective of him. But while Izumi was showering, Riki set up alarms on all the opening windows of the apartment and the outer doors of the apartment. He was no fool. He didn’t want Izumi to sneak out and run away at the wee hours of the morning. He still had this shit to go through with Katze and, since this shit concerned Izumi, it would be odd to be discussing this shit with Katze with no Izumi in sight. 

Izumi was ready to go to bed. Riki mainly slept naked or in his briefs, so he honestly smiled at how neat and cute Izumi looked in his pajamas. They tucked under the bed cover and Riki turned off the light. In the darkness, he heard sleepy Izumi’s voice.

“You know, I think you are cute and everything, and you are kind and...and...and I just wanted to say that, you know, I have a boyfriend.”  
“No worries, kid,”- blurted out Riki. I have a boyfriend too, he wanted to say but he rammed a fist against his mouth. He stared at the ceiling that was dimly lit by the reflection of the nearby streetlamp and neon signs. He saw two faces there, one was Guy and the other was Iason. Did he really have a boyfriend? If so, which one of them was he?

Riki didn’t sleep that night. 

[Iason’s penthouse in Eos Tower.]

“Koji!!!”  
“Izumi!!!”

Koji was about to pee a fountain of happiness when he saw Izumi’s face on the screen of a control panel in Iason’s study. It was the morning of the next day after he had played piano for Iason and Raoul. After breakfast Iason agreed to allow Koji to make a video call with Izumi as “communication lines after the storm had been restored.” He just hoped Koji wouldn’t blab anything suspicious to the other side of the line where Riki would immediately catch it, but he needn’t have worried so much. Koji was so happy to finally see Izumi that it looked like this fabulous musician was going to flex it digitally. Iason didn’t see it strange to start his day with a glass of brandy and Koji accepted his offer to join. Iason hadn’t put anything to Koji’s drink but he noticed that Koji was getting a bit tipsy, be it from brandy or love. These humans were so responsive to stimuli. Maybe he should find a weak aphrodisiac to test its effect on this particular pair? Iason remembered how badly Muir affected Riki and made a decision he should start easy this time. Koji and Izumi were happily chatting away. 

“Did you get the package?”- Koji asked, worriedly.  
“Yes, I did. I got,”- Izumi got to pick things to show Koji on the screen as he spoke,-”oranges, bananas, carrots, onions, parsley, green peas, minced beef, eggs, cheese..Oh, Koji, is that the new shirt we bought on our trip to Venice that you are wearing?”- suddenly asked Izumi.- “The silk one? The one you outright refused to try on in the shop because you didn’t like the shop assistant staring at you? It’s a creasing nightmare. Who ironed it for you?” A legit question. Cal took care of it. To put Koji Nanjo and a plugged in household appliance under one roof was uninsurable risk. -”Move away from the camera, I want to have a better look at you. Mmmm, that looks good on you. Wait. What is that? Nanjo Koji, what is that?!”

Koji was puzzled. He took a quick look at himself but he couldn’t see anything wrong. He cast a look at Iason, who all this time had been sitting and listening to the conversation opposite him, away from the camera, asking for help. Iason just shrugged. He couldn’t understand what that small mongrel was having in his tiny mind.

“Koji Nanjo, what did we talk about your drinking habits?!”

Oops. Shit. Koji stared at the full brandy glass he had been holding in front of the camera all this time. Given Koji’s history of drinking and wasting himself on the streets or riding his bike -it was an accident waiting to happen. A glass of wine at a reception was fine but starting the day with brandy... Izumi shook his head in disapproval. 

“Hey, it’s nothing, baby,”- started Koji, but Izumi made him shut up by raising an index finger up.  
“Dinner is at seven o’clock. I expect you here five to seven. If you are not here five past seven, we are done. Hey, Riki, how to switch this thing off...”- the screen went black. Koji stared at it with his mouth open. Iason was holding his gloved hand against his mouth to conceal the emotional turmoil that was going through him at that moment, his blue eyes tightly shut. It took one word to sweep the ground from his feet away. 

“Ahem, Lord Mink?”- Iason slowly opened his eyes. Koji was standing before him, stuttering.-”It looks like I’ve been invited to dinner. I was wondering if you would like to join me. I,”-Koji licked his cracking lips, -”may need some support.” Koji was a sneaky bastard. He knew Izumi would not scold him too badly in front of other people. 

Clouds parted and angels started to sing. Iason heard the music from Koji’s performance yesterday starting to play inside him. He, Iason Mink, was the greatest genius of them all! He had seventeen different drafts of how to work this situation to his advantage but Koji just took it, gift-wrapped it, put it to his feet and begged him to accept it. Koji Nanjo, you have no idea what you have just done. 

“Also, my phone...It’s dead. Do you know anyone who can look into it? I really need to stay connected.” Does Iason...Well, of course he does. He knows just the right person to call. Koji has been so thrilling, so helpful in his quest that Iason cannot wait for the moment Katze reanimates Koji’s phone and Iason can get a copy of all the data that’s on it. Having Koji around feels so good. It feels so alive. 

[A secure hideout in Ceres, located close to Midas.]

Iason glaces over Izumi once and completely dismisses him. He is not here for Izumi. But Koji lunges towards Izumi like mad and sweeps him off the floor. 

“Koji!!”  
“Izumi!!!”

OK. Riki sees it now. The missing puzzle pieces fall into places. Koji Nanjo is not a Blondie. He is a Platina. All of Izumi’s story makes perfect sense now. Riki has to admit the confusion was right to take place because in artificial light of their sitting-room Koji’s hair isn’t exactly platinum, it casts a definite shade of blonde. Riki’s eyes lock on the face of the other visitor, a tall man with short blue hair, and he feels how life slowly drains from him. Koji, this wonderful idiot, finds he needs to introduce Iason to Riki.  
“This is Lord Iason Mink.”- Koji doesn’t know he’s scratching a fresh wound that is just beginning to heal.  
“Hello, Riki. It’s been some time,”- says Iason. He sees how life leaves Riki’s face.   
“Lord Mink,”- croaks Riki.   
“Oh, you’ve met before? Where?”- Koji, this wonderful idiot, digs his nails deeper into the wound.   
“We’ve seen each other...socially.”- Iason dismisses it totally casually.  
“Yes...Socially...” -whispers Riki, feeling how his face falls and breaks on the floor.   
“The food’s ready! We tried hard! Ganbatte kudasai!” - chips in Izumi happily. 

“Thank you for looking after Izumi,”- Koji thanks Riki after they finish the meal (Riki manages not to choke with his portion, he doesn't eat much, he lies that he has eaten while cooking) and sit back to relax and chit chat. There’s coffee put to brew and the aromatic smell begins to waft. Riki feels his head spin. This is pure arabica. The last time he remembers himself drinking it was when Daryl served him coffee in the mornings. Coffee isn’t grown on Amoi, it’s totally imported at the price of gold ounce per weight. Izumi seems to be oblivious of this as he opens a pack of coffee from the parcel Koji sent him and pours to brew a small cottage in Midas-they are going to have two cups each.   
“No problem,”- manages to say Riki, finally finding his voice. He even manages a heroic smile. Life slowly starts to creep back in. He feels blood resume to his face. -”He’s a good kid.”

Iason transforms into his usual self. Short blue hair turn into giant blonde waterfall of locks that fall below his waist. This is his cry of war.   
“How did you do that?”- Izumi is left speechless. He carefully picks up a lock of Iason’s hair and brings it closer to his eyes to inspect with great admiration, unknowingly mirroring Iason’s desire in Koji’s hotel room. Iason likes that. Koji immediately reacts by grabbing Izumi and pulling him back.  
“Takuto! If you want to touch anyone’s hair, you can touch mine!”  
“Oh here we go again…Are you jealous again?”  
“And don’t you dare to roll your eyes at me!”  
“Are you sure Lord Mink and you aren’t related? The similarities are striking.”

Koji needs to take a bathroom break. He kisses Izumi on the cheek as he gets up from the couch and tells his lover to behave while he is away. Izumi sighs. Koji cannot be fixed. That moment Koji’s phone comes back to life. Iason gives Katze a mental round of applause. Izumi picks it up. There’s a password combination on the screen but Izumi slides his finger against the screen, hitting all the right places, and voila, the phone is unlocked. The amount of notifications is staggering but Koji wouldn’t give a shit about it. He doesn’t need a phone to make calls, send texts, upload photos on social media or send emails. He carries a phone because everybody else carries a phone. His is of the newest make, faithfully and dutifully supplied by the brand he’s promoting. Izumi notices photos popping up in a notification window one by one as the device starts connecting and downloading data. Koji comes back from the bathroom and immediately notices something’s wrong.

“What is it, pups?”-he rubs his cheek against Izumi’s cheek.   
“Nothing. Nice photos.” Izumi gets up and walks away from Koji. Koji grabs his phone.  
“Izumi! These are just some silly selfies with my fans from the reception! They mean nothing to me. I will delete them right now. Look!” Then he notices the other photos, the ones that Izumi saw. The phone slips from his fingers and pops silently on the couch. Izumi turns around to face Koji, hands clenched in fists in his favourite hoodie pockets. Izumi looks like an angry wet cat.   
“How long have you had me followed?”  
Koji wants to hate himself but he can’t. Everything he does is to protect Izumi from angry fans, crazy homophobes, their own families. He speaks the truth.  
“Four years?!” -Izumi cannot believe it. He cannot believe he has been followed by a private agent for his entire wonky relationship with Koji. -”And how often do you get updates?”  
Koji puts out his hands palms up. This is his penalty line. This is where Izumi kicks the ball. This is where it hurts.   
“Every single day of my life.” 

Iason is having probably the best night of his life. So, Izumi is not Koji’s presumed past partner but an acting current one, the report didn’t reflect that, but it doesn’t matter now. But they cannot fight long. That’s why they always get back together, that’s why their break-ups don’t last. Some things they have simply already stopped arguing about. Sometimes they don’t even remember what they argued about last time. Koji is not stupid. He gives credit where credit is due. He spots right on how strikingly beautiful Riki is. He makes a comment that Riki cannot be living alone in this apartment. He thinks this is Riki’s apartment. He thinks Riki works for Iason because Iason told him that a member of his staff would look after Izumi. He gets so many things wrong at one time.

“Oh, no,”- Izumi shakes his head,- “Riki has a boyfriend.” Iason feels massive heart stoppage. He knows this is insane. His heart cannot stop. It will take the entire weight of Dana Bahn to make his heart stop.   
“How do you know?” -asks Koji. Iason is so grateful to himself that he has Koji Nanjo involved in this whole thing. Koji is a mere human of a most primitive nature who can ask questions a Blondie could never dare to ask. Gosh, lugging that stupid piano across the galaxy finally is paying off.   
“Tonight he spoke in his sleep. He kept repeating ‘I have a boyfriend, I have a boyfriend’ until maybe three o’clock in the morning.” Riki feels he is turning into quicksand.  
“You heard that all the way from your bedroom? God, sound isolation in this apartment is terrible!”-Koji casts a horrified stare at the nearest wall.  
“Oh, no, we slept together.”

Massive collective heart stoppage in the room this time. Iason is not sure if he is imagining or this is for real but the second time his heart is violated he thinks he can hear bolts and knots explode. The atmosphere becomes so thick you can hang an ax in the air. Izumi slaps himself on the lips as he realizes what he just said. He begins to shake his head in massive denial of his words.   
“No, no, no, I mean, I was so scared and Riki was so kind, and I didn’t want to sleep alone in that horrible room...”- Izumi’s lower lip starts to tremble, tears start to fill his eyes, he picks up a dessert fork (they will have apple strudel later) but it slips away from his fingers and drops down on the floor with a loud sharp sound. That does it. Hearts slowly resort to natural rhythm. Koji sighs in relief, takes Izumi’s hand and places a gentle kiss. “I’ll get you out from here soon,”- he promises. He knows he shouldn’t make a promise he cannot keep and he feels this monster self writhing inside him. He drinks over it, imagining how ice water from his glass pours over his demon and the demon starts to slowly sink...It immediately gets better. But Izumi wants to make up for his blunder and nearly ruins everything.

“Lord Mink, do you have any pets?”- Izumi asks a seemingly innocent question as coffee is served the second round. Izumi is still missing his dog that got run over by a car. Izumi blames himself for not being careful enough but he cannot brace himself to get a new pet, even though now he can because he lives with Koji.   
“Not right now,”- answers Iason calmly but Koji perks up his head as he picks electricity in Iason’s voice,- “I had one mongrel for three years but I let him go back to where he came from.”   
“You let him go!? How cruel of you! How is he going to survive on his own?”  
“Honestly,”- Iason takes a sip of his coffee,- “I couldn’t care less.”  
“That’s so horrible!” -Izumi cannot stop but Koji gently taps him on the hand to calm down.   
“He said he wanted to be free.”  
“He...said? Your pet could speak?”- Izumi is surprised. -”Was it a speaking bird?”  
“No. Our pets are people.”  
“Wait, what?”- Izumi is confused,- “what do you mean pets are people?”  
Koji leans to Izumi’s ear and whispers. Izumi, this innocent Izumi, got confused during media preparation. All this time he thought that Pets on Amoi were cats, dogs, hamsters, fish… Izumi places his hand over his mouth, his eyes the size of a dinner plate. But the evening is not yet ready to wrap up.

“Fir.”  
“Spruce.”  
“Fir.”  
“Spruce.”  
“Fir.”  
“Spruce.”  
Iason wants to know what’s going on. Koji and Izumi explain that they are arguing what kind of tree they want to decorate for the next winter holidays. Iason finds it hilarious that humans on Earth want to put up a dead tree in the middle of the room for the sole purpose of decorating it. Then the topic of the conversation moves onto favourite pastimes. I like to watch how humans fuck, Iason wants to say, but he knows he can’t, not right now. Riki knows what Iason likes to do in that little spare time that he gets away from his duties as a Blondie. Riki used to assist Iason in spending his favourite pastime. 

“Riki said he can ride a motorbike.”-Izumi is incredibly sweet.  
“Oh yeah?”- Koji’s brows shoot up,- “can I see your bike?” He’s hit with three ‘no’s at the same time and he’s gobsmacked.   
“Koji, we have talked about this before,”- says Izumi, tiredly. -”You ride too recklessly. You will get killed one day.” Izumi is not happy he started this conversation. Izumi does not want Koji to see Riki’s bike. Iason shoots Riki a ‘I told you so too’ look. Riki fights the urge to stick out his tongue and whisk it at Iason.   
“I left it at the dealership,”- lies Riki,- “it needs maintenance.” Izumi sends him a warm speckle from his eyes as he knows, Riki told him, his bike is parked in the parking lot reserved for this apartment.   
“Mmmm,”-moans Koji wistfully,- “I would like to ride a bike now. I like racing against the wind.” He notices the blank stair on Izumi’s face and gently runs a finger along the lines of Izumi’s nose.-”But I’m not allowed.”  
“No, you are not allowed,”- confirms Izumi happily. 

OK, the evening is definitely taking an U-turn even though Iason didn’t put anything in their food or drink (this time). Who started the topic? No-one seems to remember. It might have been Izumi, who isn’t happy that Koji cannot take him home together tonight. Iason needs Izumi to stay with Riki because Izumi is his link with his Pet. Iason knows Riki will not leave Izumi and not because he is being paid for this, that bluff is off. Iason is sure Riki doesn't believe anymore that it’s a coincidence that he got hired for this job and Riki knows that nothing, absolutely nothing can prevent Koji from taking Izumi home with him right this second and he grows to realize that this is Iason, this is all Iason’s doing, he is just playing with those clueless people. He wonders if he should speak up and tell Koji to grab Izumi and run until they run out of breath but he catches Iason’s eye and Blondie gives him a small disapproving shake of his head. Riki the Dark curbs his tail between his legs and asks if he can clear the clutter away from the table. 

“If you keep treating me like this, Nanjo Koji, I will leave you and seek alternative employment in the establishment next door!”- Izumi declares proudly and everyone, including Iason, laughs. The establishment next door is a brothel, so informs a neon notice board above the door. -”Why are you laughing? It’s a respectable institution. Riki’s been there. He says it’s good.” Heart stoppage count three. Oh, Izumi, what are you doing, why are you doing this to me? -”Joke! Joke! Riki said no such thing!”.   
“Mmmm...I think I may have been to a brothel once,”- Koji taps his index finger against his lips, pretending to try to remember,-”but I’m an artist! I seek inspiration where I can!” Izumi doesn’t know if he should believe Koji.   
“What’s it like? Come on, tell us,”-Izumi taunts him.   
“Urgh..It was this new place in Tokyo where they have androids as whores.” Maaaaaasive heart stoppage that neither Koji nor Izumi seem to be aware of. Koji continues to ruminate about his seedy past. He should know better, he went to media training.- “But I just looked and left. I mean,”- he furrows his brows in scornful look,-”totally not my thing. I love my Izumi very much and now when I have him I don’t need anyone...or anything else.” Can I watch, Iason wants to say, can I please watch how you fuck your Izumi. Riki picks it up quickly, he remembers what Iason does when he’s turned on, he remembers what Izumi told him about being bondaged by Koji and Riki starts to feel this burning sensation in his crotch area. Riki excuses himself and goes to the bathroom where he uses his own hand to relieve himself. 

End of Part Three.


	4. Chapter Four

[A secure hideout in Ceres, located close to Midas.]

Iason is behind him but the face Riki sees is Katze’s. How could Katze do this to him? He wants to throw this question to the black market dealer’s face but he already knows the answer- Katze did it because Iason told him to. That’s how Riki ends up on his arms and knees in a room without windows in an apartment that can be rented hourly, being fucked in the ass by a top Elite Blondie. Does your Mama know, Riki wants to cry back to Iason, does your Mama know?

It is when Riki gets back from the bathroom that he is hit with horrible realization that Koji and Izumi, who are now happily chattering to each other, aren’t going to make it from this apartment alive. Iason is playing with them and when he is done, he is going to kill them. And all Riki can do is sit with this silly smile on his face because he knows if he makes a wrong move, if he’s going to try to warn them of the danger they are blissfully unaware of in, Iason is just going to kill them.

It all gets escalated when Koji and Izumi decide to make out before Koji has to leave. They take it to the bedroom with a window and, Koji was right, the sound isolation isn’t at its best and muffled sounds and Izumi’s cries penetrate into the sitting-room. Riki feels he’s getting a hard-on again and he hates himself for it. Iason watches him silently with a smile on his lips, masked with a gloved hand, elegantly placed against his mouth. Riki gets up from the couch, heads up to the other bedroom, the one with the bricked up window, pauses in the doorway and gives Iason a head tilt. Iason puts down his drink, gets up and follows Riki into the bedroom without hesitation. Riki stands facing the bed as he starts to slowly remove his tight knitted top. He pulls the knit over his head, it catches on his ears and chin but then easily slides away. Riki is standing and praying Iason can do him from behind, please please let him do me from behind. Riki is terrified at the thought of having to face the smirk on Blondie’s face that says well isn’t it how it all started, you want to offer me your body again or what. I hope he does me from behind, thinks Riki, because I cannot face him, tonight his eyes have burnt my face off and I have no face. Riki is terrified even more because Iason doesn’t act on it and Riki knows he can never turn around and see why, what’s wrong, because he will make a total jackass of himself, Iason just doesn’t want him anymore, he is offering and he isn’t taking. Then, when the panic was about to hit its peak point, Riki feels Iason’s tongue at the point of his back where his trousers are hugging his waist and Iason runs his tongue all up naked Riki’s spine to the point where his neckline starts to grow hair. And then again. And then again. Iason is licking Riki like a giant candy. And then he does Riki from behind. 

Izumi and Koji are in their bedroom, eating apple strudel in bed now. Riki is lying on his front, facing away from Iason, who is lying on his back, their sides touching against each other. They don’t speak. Riki knows he has to get up, take a shower and get dressed because Koji and Iason will soon be leaving and he has to see them out but he can’t make himself peel away from the bed. Iason does it first. He gets up from the bed and walks into the shower. The shower is stripped to bare minimum, just like Iason’s personality. Riki can hear the water running. A clean towel drops next to Riki. It’s a sign. He has to get up. Please don’t let him look at me, I don’t want him to look at my face because I have no face. 

It seems that the room, which has been prepared to contain Izumi, is actually sound-proof because neither Koji nor Izumi, joining them back at in the sitting-room, seem to have any idea of what just happened between Iason and Riki. Or they just don’t care. They look at each other and hold hands. It is getting late and Koji really has to go soon. 

“I slaved for five hours in the kitchen, so you, mister,”- says Izumi, putting his finger against Koji’s ribs,-”are going to do the washing up.” Koji slips a ringer off his finger and puts it on the table, another gold band. Izumi picks it up to keep while Koji will be washing the dishes. Koji obediently gets off the couch and heads towards the kitchen. -”And don’t flood the entire building this time.” Koji turns around, extends his hands the kitchen door frame and frames himself like a picture there. Koji knows how beautiful he is. Everyone in this room knows how beautiful Koji is.   
“Takuto! You should have more faith in me!”  
“Faith is all that I have with you.” 

Koji sends Izumi an air kiss. He rolls his sleeves up and starts washing up. Iason asks Izumi about the ring.   
“It’s a promise ring. We want to be together but it’s...uh...difficult.” Izumi is just too sweet. It was Koji’s own brother who tried to run him over with a car when he learned of their relationship. -”We are very different. We come from different backgrounds. And our relationship is not considered normal and entirely legal where we live.”- Iason cannot believe how much he has learnt in one evening. He feels validated for the first time in three years. Secretly, he is happy he isn’t the only one having a fucked up relationship. -”We want to get married one day.” That’s where Riki knows it’s over. Koji and Izumi want to get married one day because they are equal. Koji and Izumi are from Earth and this is their short visit to Amoi, they will go home soon. Riki and Iason cannot want to get married one day because they are not equal. They are not the same. Koji is back, he takes his ring from Izumi and slips it back on. Riki feels he has to do something, he fingers his cigarette pack and suddenly catches Koji’s hungry eyes.  
“You up for a smoke?”- Riki casually asks Koji. Koji licks his lips and looks at Izumi. Izumi glares back.   
“Izumi doesn’t like when I smoke,”- explains Koji.-”He says it’s not good for my health.”  
“No, it’s not good for your health,”- agrees Izumi and Iason shoots Riki another ‘I told you so too’ glance because, of course, Iason cannot say that out loud, Iason cannot say that smoking isn’t good for Riki’s health because he would have to explain to Koji and Izumi why he thinks so and Riki feels he may just really die then. Riki couldn’t care less about his own health right now but he puts the cigarette pack down.   
“He makes me eat broccoli.” -Koji sort of complains.   
“Broccoli and vinegar salad. It’s good.”  
Riki cannot relate. He doesn't know what broccoli is. Iason knows what broccoli is but he doesn’t like it.   
“Do you always listen to Izumi?”- asks Iason with a smile. He is teasing them.  
“Most of the time. I am a little bit...afraid of him,”- answers Koji. He smiles, Izumi rolls his eyes up. -”He can turn me over anytime.”   
“Yup,”- agrees Izumi. 

It’s a private joke as far as Iason and Riki are concerned and they both laugh a little because they don’t know that Izumi can actually turn Koji over anytime. Koji is fit due to his former ken-do practice but his eye trauma doesn’t allow him to engage in sports like that anymore, but Izumi is fitter, he is a professional athlete. Lose joggers and a hoodie hide his muscular frame very well and on the outside Izumi looks like a beautiful delicate creature.   
“OK, you can have one smoke.”  
“Izumi!”- Koji cries happily,- “I love you!”  
“Yeah yeah,”- Izumi dismisses Koji casually. Riki picks up his cigarette pack as he gets up, Koji gets up too and looks at Iason questioningly. Iason shakes his head no, he doesn’t smoke. Riki knows Iason doesn't smoke. Riki knows other vile things Iason does.  
“We can smoke outside,”- says Riki, putting his motorcycle jacket on. Riki is reluctant to leave Izumi alone with Iason. Under normal circumstances he wouldn’t mind but this evening fall out of all normal circumstances, it is nowhere near to normal. Normal Blondies wouldn’t even touch a mongrel like Izumi but this Blondie wasn’t normal. Riki is afraid Iason can do something to Izumi. But he doesn’t. Izumi is safe and sound in Iason’s presence when Koji and Riki come back after a smoke. Riki took Koji to the parking lot and showed him his bike. Koji is sworn to secrecy now because he knows Izumi will not like that. 

Finally, Iason and Koji leave. Iason calls for his aero-car’s autopilot to pick them up and they go. He is wearing his short blue hair as disguise again and Koji is wearing a hoodie. They don’t need to draw any unwanted attention to this safe-house. Riki will take the windowless room as his bedroom because he has to continue baby-sitting Izumi. He will lie on his back at night with artificial lights full on and be sleepless for three consecutive nights, staring at the ceiling and losing his mind. On the fourth morning when he leaves his bedroom with the feeling that his mouth is full of ashes, Izumi is nowhere to be found. Izumi manages to unlock the entrance doors and he leaves the apartment unnoticed. Izumi is gone.

Shit.

Now Riki really has to call Katze. 

End of Part Four.


	5. Chapter Five

[A secure hideout in Ceres, located close to Midas.]

“Sucker practice?”  
“No, Riki, it’s soccer practice.”  
“You sure you don’t need to do any sucker practice?”  
“I’m more than positive. Besides, Koji doesn’t like oral that much.”

Riki cannot believe it. It’s been three or four days he has knows Izumi and he already knows Izumi’s sexual preferences. This is getting wild. Ceres is known for quick hook-ups but Izumi, Riki knows this now, is different from Ceres mongrels. He feels a bit intimidated at the knowledge that Koji doesn’t like Izumi giving him oral. Iason liked orals. Riki wishes he just could stop everything that’s now happening in his life with Iason because it’s getting unbearable. Maybe he should just get a picture of Iason’s dick and frame it on the wall.

Riki didn’t call Katze that morning when he found that Izumi was missing. He was totally losing his shit standing in an empty kitchen and freaking out at the idea he had to call Katze. What was he going to say? That he lost Izumi? He heard the lock on the outer door of the apartment click open and lost his shit one more time because if it was Katze or Iason he would just die on the spot, he would just drop and die.

“Riki! Are you home?”

Izumi! This was fucking Izumi. Riki breathed in loudly with huge relief. 

“Wow, Riki, you look like shit!”

As if Riki didn’t know that already. 

“Where have you been?”  
“Jogging, for soccer practice. I told you yesterday. Did you forget?”

He did. 

[Iason’s penthouse in Eos Tower.]

Iason is living the best days of his life. This new experience with Koji and Izumi is filling him with new excitement every day. He’s learnt a lot! But he must not forget his duties as a Blondie. He goes to brief Orphe Zavi on the reception for the Earth’s delegation. Orphe Zavi has already received Gideon’s report, he compares it to what Iason says and nods in agreement. Iason also takes a minute to compliment Aisha Rosen on the arrangements of the event. He knows he needs to rub Aisha the right way because he is soon going to ask Aisha for something, so he wants to stay in Aisha’s good books. Another person would be ashamed at this ass-kissing manipulation but a sociopath that Iason Mink is feels no such thing. 

Koji was standing in the bathroom of his guest room in Iason’s penthouse. He was resting on his hands on the running sink but he wasn’t washing himself. He was watching the water run, run, run and be gone in the draining hole. That’s how he felt at that moment. He lifted up his head to look at himself in the mirror above the sink. Koji carefully inspected his face and found no flaw with his unearthly beauty. He couldn’t compare to a Blondie in height or hair colour, but from a distance he could easily pass for one. His phone beeped on the sink ledge. Koji turned the water off and picked up the phone. Shibuya texted him a reminder about another event he had to attend. 

Koji was wondering what he should do but this didn’t concern any event planned for his delegation. Just one monster recognized another monster, not at the first sight, but still. Iason was an unforgiving monster that could go on forever by probably connecting to an electric socket with his dick to recharge.  
Koji couldn’t make up his mind if he was going to manipulate Iason in getting Izumi back or if he was going to challenge Iason about why he was not getting Riki back and THEN manipulate Iason into getting Izumi back. Koji clicked his tongue. Yup, let’s try that. 

“Do you feel anything?”- Koji asked. Koji found Iason in the sitting-room, nursing another glass of wine. Drinking alcohol for Iason was a mere pleasure. As an android, he didn’t need food and drink to sustain life but the organic part of his brain needed fuel, so Iason and all other Blondies ate and drank. They were made to have large tolerance of alcohol, nicotine, drugs, chemicals, gas, poison and much more, so Iason had to consume large quantities of alcohol just get that tipsy sensation in his brain, though his tongue buds were pleasured with taste the entire time. Iason lifted his brows in surprise. -”I know you are an android. Do you feel anything against your skin when you touch something?”  
“Of course I feel it. My brain is augmented, but it’s organic. It’s the only way we can develop and bring our civilization forward. Our brain can learn new things. My body is android, but I have a sensitive nerve system connected to my brain. It gives my body reaction.”  
“OK. So if you stuck your finger in Riki’s ass, what reaction would it give you?”

Iason didn’t know he could be shocked until this very moment. Nothing he had been learning previously prepared him for this. This was a new sensation to him. He didn’t like it. It made his body be put on hold. His brain labeled this experience as shock and immediately released cure to the system. Iason resumed breathing. 

“You know what’s the difference between you me, Lord Mink? You are dead. You walk, you talk, you eat, you sleep but you are dead inside. And there is fire inside me. And there is fire inside Izumi. We want to be together until the last ember inside us burns out and dies and we stop breathing and I will do everything to be with Izumi. Just thought you might want to know. I’ll be leaving for an event soon. I think it’s time to stop fooling around and when it is as it is, I think it’s best that I get a room in a hotel.” 

Iason watched Koji leave. Apparently, Iason wasn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier anymore. Koji could read him open. The situation was slipping out of control. Iason realized he would have to call Aisha earlier than he anticipated. 

It’s time to move Izumi and Riki to his apartment in Apatia.

This time Iason wants to do Riki face to face. 

[Sometime later in Iason’s penthouse in Eos Tower]

Koji stepped into the shower. He tilted his head and started running fingers through his hair. The water was running against his beautiful face, his mouth, his neck...Koji was working for the camera and he knew it. When one is in the camera lens for such a long time, one starts to notice the prying eye. Koji was cool with that. He spent most of his life in front of the camera. Iason was watching Koji shower on a screen. Koji’s guest bedroom was upgraded old Riki’s room, so the camera had already been installed there to track what Riki was doing. It was mainly aimed for Furniture who did the monitoring of Iason’s Pets. Iason liked what he saw.

Koji was lying on his back on the bed and applying lotion to his hands. He was massaging his fingers and doing some finger exercises that he had learnt for his piano practice. He had a towel casually covering his private parts but it wasn’t wrapped around his waist. Koji was speaking on his phone with Shibuya on a loudspeaker as his hands were busy with skincare. He turned his head to Iason, who appeared in the door way but didn’t get up or finish the phone call. 

“Do you mind?”- Iason mouthed silently. He didn’t want to disturb the call. Koji shook his head. 

“Now, some damage control,”- said Shibuya,- “Minako Sakihime says you groped her behind. She wants to sue.”  
“I never...Oh, yeah...I did grope her behind.”  
“Koji!”  
“What? She’s got a nice ass.”  
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it. Aren’t you, kind of, in a relationship?”  
“A secret relationship, you want to say? Consider grabbing nice asses my cover up.”  
“…”  
“Don’t give me anything in April,”- said Koji, - “I have a clip filming and I will want to focus on my video. I will do some travelling in September.” He planned his year in the next twenty minutes. He mouthed a ‘sorry’ to Iason and hoped that Blondie wasn’t bored stiff with his conversation. But Iason didn’t mind. After going through Koji’s phone and hungrily soaking into his private life, Iason was able to understand how different humans on Earth and Blondies on Amoi lived. He wanted to know more.  
“We will do some of photo shooting in Amoi,”- said his manager, -”I want to use this for your next album cover. Speaking of which, we really need to send them something. They want to know what they are going to be working with.  
“I don’t know it myself,”- snapped Koji but then...He remembered. He had his own piano in the penthouse. Shibuya obviously had no idea the studio in Tokyo had been looted? burgled into? set on fire? He could do some work on his piano arrangements. This was his own piano, for fuck’s sake.  
“And you are singing at a charity concert this weekend.”  
“Right, right.”  
“Koji? I don’t know how to say it, so I’ll just say it. Don’t disappear this time, OK?”

“Are you evicting me?”- asked Koji when the phone call was over. He wouldn’t be surprised if Iason asked him to get out.  
“No. But I want to ask...You planned your whole year but you never mentioned your partner.”  
“It’s because I’m part of Izumi’s life, not his whole life. I travel a lot for my music, he travels a lot for his sport. Sometimes our planes cross in the sky. When he retires, things will be easier.” Koji was hopeful. When Izumi retires, he will be able to escort him on his trips, but there will be separate hotel rooms, separate cars, separate events until they will be able to announce their relationship to the world. Koji spent the bigger part of his life pretending to be someone who he is not, so knew he could live with that. Izumi didn’t want to draw the media attention to his personal life or his siblings, so he should be happy with the arrangement for some time, too. They could get married somewhere in Europe. There were so many things to sort out, so Koji just wished that the bridges he is going to burn will light his way.  
“Do you want to see Izumi? I’ve moved him into another accommodation. It’s in a better location and more comfortable.”  
“Sure,”- Koji shrugged. -”Just let me get dressed.” He pointedly looked at Iason, who pointedly paused for longer than necessary. Iason finally nodded and left the room. Iason was obsessed with Riki but that didn’t mean he was closing doors on other options, now that he’s tasted the sweetness of...free-range human. Aisha Rosen had listened to Iason’s request silently, maybe his eyes just widened a little bit more than usual, but afterward he granted his permission for Riki to be accommodated in Apatia. After all, his Pet registration was still active, anyone could see that in the registry. It was as simple as that-it was enough to obtain one Blondie’s consent and the other Blondies would politely look away. 

[Riki’s old apartment in Apatia.] 

“Did you drink a lot at the party?”- asks Izumi.  
“I wanted to check how much alcohol a human body can consume,”-Koji corrects Izumi’s assumption.  
“And what did you find out?”  
“It can consume a lot.”

Koji did have a bad hangover from the previous night event. Cal offered him some pills to help with the nausea and headache but Koji refused. He only felt it was fair that he was paying for his own actions. 

The four of them were sitting in Riki’s old apartment in Apatia. This time all the cards were open on the table. Koji came to take Izumi back. Iason came to take Riki back. This time, no fucking around. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t have a civilized conversation. Izumi was trying to tell Iason how Riki felt. Koji listened. Riki wanted to evaporate. 

“It’s all about control,”- says Izumi. -”Imagine this. There’s a bagel shop in the building in front of ours. Say, I want a bagel at three o’clock in the morning. I can just get up and go get it.”  
“Why would you want to eat a bagel at three o’clock in the morning?”- asks Iason. OK, maybe the bagel example isn’t very good.  
“It’s not want I want. It’s that I can want it. It’s that I have this option to get up at three o’clock in the morning and get myself a bagel or I can go back to sleep because that would be a wise thing to do. But I have a choice.” Iason can see the point in Izumi’s reasoning but somehow illogically and irrationally he compares Riki to a bagel. Mmmmmm...delicious.  
“What do humans want in a man? What do you want in a man?”- asks Iason.  
“Life,”- says Izumi without a second’s hesitation. Iason quirks an eyebrow.  
“Life,”- repeats Izumi,-”not beauty, money or power. Life. We want someone who has been somewhere interesting, who has done something interesting, who can say something interesting. And this person can share this experience with others. Even the ugliest person can have a successful relationship if they have life in them.” Iason is surprised. Apparently, he is a top Blondie but, by Izumi’s definition, there is no life in him. Iason is dead, just like Koji had told him. Izumi is packing. Koji’s things from Iason’s penthouse will be forwarded by Cal. Koji is happy, he got his Izumi back. Tonight he and Koji return to the spaceship of Earth’s delegation for the rest of their stay. Koji doesn't want for them to stay in a hotel in Parthia and Iason honestly cannot blame them for this. But there’s a condition for their leaving and only Iason and Riki know it, though Koji has a very good guess at it.

Iason knows he is obsessed with Riki and he knows Riki doesn’t return the feeling. Maybe Riki even hates him, but they have to meet in the middle before Iason does something stupid, before his obsession tears through the core of Tanagura system. Koji and Izumi will leave unharmed if Riki agrees to meeting Iason in this apartment. Iason was thinking of these meetings as a way to clench some of that sexual thirst that he was feeling for Riki but now, after Izumi’s explanation of what humans want in one another, Iason starts to reconsider this thing altogether. In return for his blackmail, Riki will get some of the “bagel” in terms of general monthly allowance and permission to join Katze in the black market on the condition he chooses to return to this apartment to give Iason his sexual release. Meanwhile, Iason can start to introduce more of this “life” into their relationship, so that Riki knows he is appreciated and loved. Iason knows for sure sex is not an issue, he knows by now he is poison in Riki’s blood. This poison will start to melt away with the injection of life. Iason is sure of this. He must have a life with Riki. This now seems so...easy. So refreshing. 

A month after Koji and Izumi return home to Earth, Iason and Riki die in Data Bahn. 

The End.


End file.
